Keeping this short to update you all on Stink's all-you-can-eat-Tourettes diet... which is very very different than how he normally eats. (see post below.)

Let's just say that we're seeing a difference - and not in a good way. He has been vocally doing that "huh" and can't really get through a sentence without some sort of clear or "mmm" or something.

It's not crazy loud, but just non-stop. He's also been waaaay more keyed up. My husband has even noticed it. "Kind of like a motor" he said. (Ya think?)

We're in our cabin this week. A few neighbor kids stopped by to play pool. Both of them, at one point, looked at him, and said, "What's up with those noises? Do you need to cough or get a drink?"

Stink just looked at them totally non-chalant and said, "Oh, that's just my tic!"

Clearly these kids did not know what a tic was, so when he did it again (ten seconds later) they said, "Is that your tic?"

He nodded.

They went, "Hmmm" and that was it.

No big deal! Like, duhhhhhhh, it's just Tourettes.

So, while I am going CRAZY until the end of this month when we can put this kid back on a diet (after some new blood work) for him, it's just a tic.

That'll teach me.






 
 
On my ever searching quest of acceptance as well as keeping my kid's body balanced I'm now looking into the Feingold Method.

This is your basic healthy eating diet (similar to what I already do for Stink) but it starts slowly. In other words, with very outlined stages, it takes a kid from eating everything to eliminating, one by one, triggers. (Another link which explains it in simple terms is this one.)

This has worked for many people who have been at their wits end with ADHD, ADD as well as Tourettes and a whole host of other issues.

I like this because my husband, who is ever skeptical of diet affecting tics, can see what works, and what doesn't, in step-by-step logical order.

I'm still reading Sheila Roger's book.

I've also moved the rabbit outside of the house. Major improvement in tics.

For kicks and giggles, we've reintroduced dairy this month. From what I can see so far, Stink is way less focused and more hyper. Even my mom noticed a spike in his wiggling, obstinance and inability to focus on anything very well. Doing a quick internet research proved my point: ADHD and Dairy aren't a good combo.

My game plan for July is the following:

* Let him pretty much eat what he wants and note his behavior/tics
* Get his blood tested again at the end of July for food allergies
* With the results in hand, start taking out the offending foods one per week in August to see how his behavior/tics mellow out
* Start September/second grade with a new combat plan for what he can and cannot eat.

I'm tired of guessing at this.

I'm tired of thinking I'm doing this right, but worrying about if I'm being a mean mom taking certain foods away.

Knowing that I have tested my food theories, with the support of my husband this summer, will arm me with the confidence I need to raise my kid with the foods and environment that will give him the best shot at life.

Stink is amazing. He can also be a turd. I'm not trying to be a hippy dippy mom and blame everything on food. But for fxxx sake, if you're a diabetic, you don't eat sugar without feeling nuts. It's harder to make good decisions. So goes it with kids who have food allergies.

Sidenote: Stink just walked in to show me something on his I-Spy Game. He cannot stop moving and humming. It's like a motor is attached to him. DRIVE ME NUTS. However, I have got to stick to this in July or I'll never really say with confidence, "Yes, this diet makes a difference."

Wish me luck.


 
 
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WARNING: This post is ridiculously long and words might repeat themselves after I've already spoken them. Don't be judgmental. Maybe it can't help it. Maybe it has Tourettes. Be tolerant.

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I'm going to start by saying my kid has Tourette Syndrome. No doubt about it - he's genetically wired to tic.

That said, I am a firm believer in triggers. I can see major differences in his tics when he eats poorly or when he doesn't get enough sleep or the right supplements. (Hello magnesium! Love you!)

After the crazy mango incident (see below) he was doing really well tic wise. (I'd say 3 out of 10. Totally manageable!) 

But then he started in with a pretty incessant "Uh-huh" and "mmmmm" in a recording like fashion. On and on, round and round. (Granted, they were soft, but non-stop and, truthfully, drove me batty. Not proud of that, but I'm human.)

I finally broke down and bought some Bonnie Grimaldi supplements. Let's just say that his tics went from bad to worse. He was a hyper insane jack rabbit who not only "hmmmed" and "mmm'd" but gulped and couldn't sit still.  All those b-energy releasers (plus the fact that he doesn't handle soy well which is in their base) transformed him into a live wire. (Another post on these vits later.)

With him back on his regular supplements and a good diet, I finally started looking very seriously into Sheila Rogers Natural Approach to Tics and Tourettes.

Unless her testimonials are total bs - which I don't believe at all - I decided to really buckle down and approach the tics from an environmental stand point.

This means looking at everything in his environment and starting to eliminate possible triggers one by one. Is it  mold? Dust? Perfumes?  Chemicals in the cleaning? I know it seems like a needle in a haystack, but I'm willing to do it step by step.

With some major emotion out of the way (Let's say "alone time and exercisefor 500!")  I am willing to look at them from a more clinical stand point.

Yes, I know my son is beyond happy. Sure, some of the tic patrol is all about me and calming my own nerves that are tired of hearing sounds.

But a lot of it is my mama gut in overdrive: What is deficient in this child's body (nutrients, sleep, etc.) and what is too much for him (certain chemcials in the air, mercury, strep titers elevated, too much stimulation via tv or excitement?)

Taking it step by step, I'm starting with this:

What has changed in the past month in his environment?

 1. Fertilizer at school. Many many kids had eye irritation and the smell was god awful. While they only rubbed their eyes, Stink's rolled from side to side, got puffy and red. Hellooo... a trigger!

2. The rabbit we inherited. I am betting diamonds to doughnuts the rabbit is the culprit here. He is no longer in school and his eyes have mellowed out 80%. (The rabbit, not my son.)

My son even stayed at someone else's house this weekend who had dogs. When we picked him up, no tics. The minute he came back to our place, tic tic tic.

The rabbit is now in the garage (with a light and lots of love from us who are back and forth constantly. Relax - no animal abuse here.)

Unless I'm wishful thinking here, I can swear he is ticking 50% less. When we go past the garage to eat outside, he starts in again. We go back in the house... much much less.

Unless Sheila Roger's book is totally bunk, which I don't believe, I am completely committed this summer to keeping with a good diet and keeping a log of Stink's tics, as well as eliminating potential triggers one by one.

It's a lot of work. Many of you have written to me asking for "quick fixes". I don't have them. Each of us have different kids. But I encourage all of you to try this book out before going right to meds. 

I'll keep you posted.  If I am successful at finding a few more triggers, I'll be darn happy and we'll celebrate with some fine rabbit stew. (Kidding! Stink is totally allergic to hare meat. I mean... we wouldn't do that!)
 
 
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About a month ago, my son's tics were the worst they had ever been. One long stead stream of "uh - huhs" and "hmmmms" that rarely had a moment of silence between them.

With these tics were lots of hyper activity... so much twitching, in fact, that even his teacher sent home a note with the subject line, "New Sounds." (They weren't loud at all, but just incessant... ANNOYING. Oh God, it was a hard few days for me.)

As I sat at the dinner table, literally about to lose my mind, my husband asked about diet changes. (This from a man who really thought the whole diet thing was bunkus.) "Nothing other than mangos," I said casually.

He took a look at these "Naturally delicious" mangos from Costco. Sulpher Dioxide was one of the prime ingredients. 

This article talks about how chemicals in our daily food (over 540 permitted by the FDA) can have profound affects on kids. Check out the section called "Avoidance Tactics". It's got an interesting bit on sulpher dioxide. Dried fruit? Very very bad for kids who tic.

Needless to say, when we took the mangos away, Stink's tics decreased by 90%.

For two days, they were gone 100%.

Now his tics are back a bit higher than I'd like: Light" hmmms" and "throat clears" that, compared to severe TS, is nothing big. But it's still distracting. What do I attest to this increase, other than the normal waxing and waning of tics? Too much activity combined with fake nacho cheese at school yesterday. Does it every time.

In closing, let me state this for the record:

1. Does my son have Tourette Syndrome that right now does not have a cure? Yes.

2. Do I think that diet alone and supplements are going to change his neurological disposition? No.

3. Do I need to accept that he has tics and some days he will be noiser than others? Yes yes YES. (That is very hard for me. Another post to be sure. Stink is happy. It's Mama that has perfection issues. I get it. I'm sorry. I suck. It's my lesson in life and slowly... slowly... I am healing.)

This all said - Stink is still not on medication. I do believe we can control many of his symptoms through diet and good habits. I'll let you know if that changes.

Happy weekend everyone!
 
 
So the latest rage in tic control is botox. It only works on the eyes and neck. It lasts for a few months and keeps the afflicted person from feeling the urge to tic, hence no neck stretches or blinks.

But all those chemicals. And a shot in the eye? Really?

One person I know said her son, who has a high thresh hold for pain, practically slid off the table and howled in an agonizing wail she'll never forget.

I won't do that to Stink for two reasons:

1. He doesn't mind his tics. 
2. If my wrinkled face can't afford botox at this time, you can bet your sweet mother he isn't getting any either.

Anyone consider this - for your kids' tics (or for yourself?) I'd love to hear some feedback - pros and cons.
 
 
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So I can't lie. Epsom salt is not the cure-all for TS. But studies show that a warm bath with two cups of this magic for twenty minutes can greatly encourage relaxation. With relaxation comes less tics.

For centuries people have used it. Studies also show that TS kids are often deficient in magnesium - and since Epsom salt has a ginormous amount of that (I know... my scientific language is staggering) it makes sense to let our beautiful children's bodies absorb it while they're playing in the tub anyway. (1 cup with a foot soak works as well.)

I recently ordered fifty pounds of Epsom Salt from Salt Works Inc. I got free shipping which brought it to less than $1.00/pound compared to the $3.00/pound it can cost retail. While I never run out of red wine or Yuban, I am always running low on Epson salt (because I am a terrible mother and don't say I'm not because my child would not have TS if I were a good mother.... oh wait... did my subconscious just say that? Well hardy har har your's probably has, too, or you wouldn't be reading this and yes... it's total crap. My weird subconscious thoughts - not the salt.)

Speaking of, when Rex came home from work to find this huge box of crystals, he did a quick check for Snow White's dwarfs. (Or did they hunt diamonds? Either way, it looked like a mining factory. Just go with me on this, kay?)

The good people at Salt Works graciously offered to send a five-pound bag of salt to the winner of this contest. (Translation: I asked, they said yes. Hooray for them! I will definitely be back to shop!)

If you've never tried Epsom salt, or you just like a freebie like me, this is your chance to win.

* Contest rules

1. You must leave your name here.
2. Your child must tic.

That's it! If it turns out you are really some old lady in Arkansas that is using the Epsom salt for her Birkenstock calluses, you are going to have to live with your deception and thievery each and every day. Trust me - a dollop of sugar and lies will not taste good in that Senior Burger King coffee.

Contest ends Friday February 19.

And remember: A ticking kid with confidents outweighs an insecure non-ticking kid any day of the week. (Someone, please help me shorten that sentiment.)

* Disclosure: I paid for my 50 pounds of salt, but Salt Works is comping the 5 pound bag for the lucky winner. Thanks Salt Works!
 
 
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I have been reading at ACN about the wonders of Epsom salt cream. I have always used Epsom Salt in the bath (2 cups for 20 minutes in the tub or 1 cup in a foot bath for 10 minutes) since it has magnesium in it which greatly calms the nerves/helping the tics.

The forum recently mentioned that Epsom Salt cream can work wonders when placed on an area of discomfort. Example: If your child stretches his neck, place it there.

You can buy it, such as this Kirkman Labs Magnesium Sulphate cream.

You can also make it, but I'm honestly not that handy. We'll see. I am simply quoting from the link above.

1. Pour a bottle of unflavored Milk of Magnesia though paper or cloth filter (I used a #6 cone coffee filter). Discard the liquid and keep the thick residue.

2. Melt coconut oil (I melt a pint jar of coconut oil in a pan of hot water) Note: you can buy coconut oil in most health food stores--- less expensive in Asian or International grocery stores --- I buy it locally in an Asian market for about $6.00 a pint.

3. Combine and mix with a hand-held electric mixer (stick type works best):

1 cup melted coconut oil (Omega 6 essential fatty acid)
1/2 cup flaxseed oil (Omega 3 essential fatty acid)
3/4 cup Milk of Magnesia residue(thick residue from the filter)

This mixture will seize up into soft margarine consistency within seconds!

4. Store it in clean small lidded containers. I keep it in the refrigerator but it holds consistency if left at room temperature except during very hot weather.

5. Use liberally as a hand and/or body lotion. It absorbs quickly. Improved brain function, increased memory and concentration is discernable about an hour after use.

6. It may also have an effect on body mass through eliminating excess water in the tissues, I've been using it lately on my "midriff bulge" and I'm not as puffy as before. Also, more frequent urination for a few hours after application. I don't know exactly what is going on, but my clothes are fitting much better!

If anyone tries this, let me know!

AND REMEMBER...A confident child who tics outweighs a non-ticking insecure one. Go hug that ticker today!
 
 
So just yesterday I wrote about my irriatation with the tics. Part of it was seeing my son go through a bunch of movements all at once. But part of of it was not knowing, as a mom, what I should be doing to help him.

I called the office of a top Tourettes specialist from UCLA today. Amazingly enough, the assistant to the main psychiatrist took 20 minutes with me on the phone. I told her about the tic increases. I told her I was considering meds but felt unsure since Stink was such a happy kid. Who would I be medicating him for? She asked me a series of questions.

1. Is he having trouble concentrating in class? (no)
2. Do the tics impede him socially? (no)
3. Do they impede him physically other than making him stand out? (no)
4. Are his grades good? (yes)
5. Does he have emotional problems or outbursts? (no)
6. Does he have friends (too many)

Her response: Don't even bother at this time. "So he stands out a bit. He's happy. He's confident. You are doing him a far better service teaching him to be comfortable in his own skin than eradicating what makes him a wee bit different. All the most incredible/stand-out people in this world have something that make him different."

AMEN!

And so, that answered my question.

And so I relaxed.

And with me relaxed, guess who else is ticking 50% less? Coincidence or not? I don't know, but I'll take it.

More to come as I plan on ordering Bonnie Grimaldi's Tourettes Vitamin Supplements. I am not going to do so with the intention of "curing" TS. But I do think it will be a nice balance between "doing what I can" and then "accepting what Dominic has...some minor tics" without dulling his spirit with Clonodine.

I'd welcome comments and suggestions.

And, as always, remember: A confident kid who tics outweighs an insecure non-ticking child any day of the week. So go give that ticker a big hug! (Throw in some OCD with it: Hug him 3 times in a row. Go for it!)
 
 
This school year - first grade - has definitely shown an increase in tics. Stink had gone from occasional bouts of them to a pretty steady stream of them. He's rarely without some sort of motion, be it an eye roll, a shoulder shrug, a throat clear, a tongue click.

Luckily he tends to stick to one at a time.

The past few weeks, though, he has put many of them together, and that's when it becomes more obvious. Yesterday, right before his seventh birthday party, he started squatting. I thought I would faint.

There's a little shit in his class (speaking of squatting) who constantly makes fun of Stink - especially about his squatting tic.  (I call it the Ass Tic cause I'm classy.)

I suppose I should be thrilled that Stink isn't too affected by this kid. After all, I practically have to drag it out of him. When he tells me about his day, and the little shit who mimics him, I ask him why he didn't tell his teacher. "I forgot!" he says merrily, before launching into some opinion about the next chapter of Harry Potter.

I often persist, "But you can go on meds if you want if the taunts ever bug you." Stink's response, "Never! I love my tics! Way more than I love the little shit!"

Of course my Sunday School goer doesn't refer to his class mate as "The Little Shit". But seriously, if you looked up this kid in the dictionary,  you'd see his smiling face inserted in a big log of poo. Moving on.

I am glad that Stink is so happy with himself. But as a mother, it sometimes breaks my heart. I know I can't "cure it" per say, but I'm also disappointed that all my magnesium supplements and good food isn't making more of a difference.

I'm angry that I can't just accept this.

I am now a bit worried about Pandas.

I'm worried that his mild to medium symptoms are going to become more severe jerks and grunts.

I worry that I'm going to give Stink a complex when I'm visably irritated by his constant motions. (I try to curb that, but sometimes I can't help it. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've screamed, "Can't you just stop that! You're driving me CRAZY!" Not okay, just saying I'm human.)

I worry that I'm doing him a disservice by not having him on medication.

I'm PISSED that I still don't have a good doctor that can guide me on this.

I'm beyond frustrated that there is no cure to this confusing disorder.

But... and here's the great thing... my son is beyond happy with who he is. He told me (and I can't make this crap up) "when I am dead I hope I am an angel with Tourettes."

I guess I'm doing okay so far. But man, I do wish those tics would settle down. More to come. (And I wish that Little Shit would go down the toilet where he belongs.)
 
 
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I know I owe you all a post on Sheila Rogers  natural tics relief book, Chapter 1. I haven't started reading it yet thoughet. I'm working again - loving it - so got side tracked. But...

Stink's tics have been about the same for the past month and I'm frustrated. Lots of minor vocals soundlng like tiny squeaks and hiccups. Only my friends that are looking for it notice it. My mom thinks I'm nuts. Yes, it could be worse. I'm really trying to take my own advice and be happy it's not much more. But WHY CAN'T I STOP IT!???

Oh yeah (hitting head on desk) HE HAS TOURETTES. Keep forgetting.

A few things have contributed to his increase:

1. Allergy season (yup, it's true. Going to buy a Hepa filter at some point - 1 for his room, 1 for downstairs and 1 for his classroom. Expenses like this make me glad to be working. Anyone else try the Hepa Filter route?

2. Halloween. Candy, go away! Tired of you! Tired of the Tic and Treating!

3. Sickness. I swear he's been nursing a cold for a month. When his immune system is down, tics go up.

In doing some research, I came across this ad With the name "Tic Tamer" I can only think about those old medicine carts that sold "Stay Young Forever" potions and were full of crap.

And yet... and yet... maybe they could work? They've got all the stuff that so many people say really helps calm tics.

Personally, if I try anything new, I'm betting the farm (the funny farm at the rate I'm going with these tics) on Bonnie Grimaldi's TS forumlas. I have heard amazing things about her stuff. It's expensive, but again, that's why I'm working.

But... (I like Big Buts and I cannot lie... moving on... feeling punchy tonight... maybe it's a tic?) until I really find a doctor I trust who will look over the ingredients, I'm not pumping my child full of cure-all vitamins. God forbid I overdose the kid on something when his tics don't even bug him all that much.

And really, in the whole scale of things, what are a few vocals? I mean, REALLY Andrea, calm down!

So that's where I"m at.

How are you all? Thoughts on "Tic Tamers" and vitamins you've tried or have not tried? Who has their kids on medication and who has seen good results with it? Who is just so tired of thinking about tics they could just run naked through the streets drunk on Negro Modelos and forget the world for a while.

That would be me! (Who is still sadly clothed, thinking about tics, drinking Yuban. But damn happy about life otherwise. Love my hubby and son and daughter and job and... that's all for now.)

Andrea